My students need a class set of George Washington Carver's biography and planting supplies to integrate reading skills with an authentic hands-on, STEM learning experience.
Our elementary school is a public, Title I school in Florence, South Carolina. 693 students attend our school. 48% of the 693 students here are paying reduced lunch prices. They have varying needs and are a diverse group of learners.
"We believe that all children should have an equal opportunity to experience the joy of learning and to achieve their fullest potential" is the vision statement of our school.
The dedicated staff of our school, together with a supportive community, is committed to providing an innovative, standards-based curriculum that promotes social and academic growth designed to prepare students to be responsible, contributing citizens of the 21st century.
This project will serve all 88 students in the sixth grade at our school. The students are so excited to learn, and especially to participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities. They are excited when their learning experiences are both hands-on and authentic.
My Project
This project will provide students the opportunity to integrate their reading skills and STEM. Students will read George Washington Carver's biography. They will see how Carver overcame adversity, solved problems, and became a famous scientist.
Students will extend their learning by planting gardens in recycled containers.
Students will experiment with different planting techniques and seed types to mimic some of the work of Dr. Carver. The soil and seeds will be used to plant flower gardens into egg cartons, shoeboxes and other upcycled items.
The completed container gardens will be donated to local charities such as nursing homes and homeless shelters, so that students may also learn about compassion and helping others. Students will participate in the delivery of the items as well.
Giving students the opportunity to extend the reading of George Washington Carver's biography into an authentic, hands-on experience will increase student engagement, improve their use of reading strategies and allow them to serve others.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Bratton and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.